Improvement in toy money-boxes



W. H. LOTZp- Toy Monay-Box.

Patented Feb. 19, 1878..

UNIT D fSTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. LOTZ, or OHICAGQILLINOIS.

. l IM PROVEMENT, IN TOY 'MONEY-B'OXES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 200,402, dated February 19, 1878; application filed I I December 17, 1877. v

To all whom' it may concern:

' Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. Lorz, of Chicago, in the cou'ntyof (look and State of Illinois, have invented'a new and Improved Toy Money-Box, as fully set forth in thefollowing specification.

The nature of my invention relates to that class of toy money-boxes or childrens savingsbanks in which a mechanical movement is brought into action for depositing the coin.

My invention consists of a dog figure or other desirable image, which is arranged to open and shut its mouth, or to open and shut its hand or claw, automatically while traversing over the top of the money-box, so as to move up to and grasp the coin, which is suspended across the route of the moving image, to carry the same ofi and drop it into the receptacle of the box.

It also consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of the various parts, and in their combination with each other.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is an exterior perspective view, and Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the center of the money-box.

A is an image of adog, which is made hol low. The lower jaw a, of this dog is made separate, and is secured to the end of a lever, b, pivoted in the breast portion of the dog,the extreme opposite end of which projects downward between the hind legs of the dog, and has attached the dogs tail. A small leaf-spring, b, one end of which is attached under the spine of the dog figure, is for depressing the rear end of said lever b. This dog image is rigidly connected to the upper end of a radial arm, G, secured upon a spindle, c, which is pivoted into the lower portion of the money-box E. One end of said spindle 0 projects through the wall of the box, and has secured to it acrank, D, by which the arm 0 is swung to and fro. A spiral spring, d, is placed over the spindle 0, one end of which is secured to the said spindle, while its other end is held by the box, for returning the arm 0 to its starting-point after each movement of the same.

The money-box E is oblong, with a curved top, which latter is slotted for the arm (3 to project through and to be guided therein.

The rear end of the lever 12 rides .upon the 'd1e, sothat at both ends of the box said lever b of the moving dog is heldup, which causes his mouth to be open, while, when passing the recess, the lever b is liberated, when, by the action of the spring I), the dogs mouth will close.

F represents the image of a kneeling man, stretching forth his hands as if begging charity, with a small spring, f, over his hands, so that a coin, the edge of which is inserted between the hands and spring f, will horizontally project out across the course of the dog, and at such elevation that the edge of said coin will enter the mouth of the advancing dog, which will close upon it, carrying it along to the end of his route, where his mouth is opened again, and the coin is allowed to drop into a hopper, G, communicating bya narrow slot with the interior of the moneybox. This hopper G is concealed by a small house, H, representing a dog-kennel. A V- shaped partition, g, inside of the box IE, separates thecoin-receptaclefiromtheroominwhich the arm O and spindle c are located.

The above-described toy money-bank, with its mechanical functions, will prove of great interest to children, and will be an inducement to them to save their pennies.

As will be noticed, the arrangement of the mechanism is very simple, and cannot easily get out of order; but yet I do not wish to be restricted to the particular construction described and shown, since the configuration of diflerent images may necessitate a different arrangement of the several parts, without, however, changing materially the main point of the invention, which is an image moving toward the coin, automatically grasping the same, and carrying it ofi' for deposit, which I believe is new and original.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a toy money-box, a movable imagehaving a hinged jaw, hand, or claw, which automatically opens, closes, and opens again while the figure advances, so that the figure will grasp the coin, convey it to the receptacle, and deposit it, all in its advancing movement, substantially as described.

2. In a toymoney-box, a movable imagehavin g a hinged jaw, hand, or claw, in combination with a lever to which the hinged jaw, hand,

or claw is connected, said lever being operated by the depression orprojection on the plate or surface over which it is moved, substantially as described.

3. In a toy money-box having a curved slotted top, the combination of a movable image, mounted on a radial arm, and adapted to be moved back and forth over the top of the box, the hinged jaw, hand, or claw of the image, connected with a lever which is operated by the depression or projection upon the plate or surface over which the figure is moved, the said image being adapted to grasp the coin, convey it to the receptacle, and deposit it, all in the advancing movement, substantially as described.

4. The movable image A, havinghinged jaw a, in combination with the figure F, having spring f, all arranged to operate in combination with a money-box, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

5. The movable image A, havinghinged jaw a, attached to lever 12, and operated by spring I), in combination with the box E, having a recessed top, and a figure, F, having spring f, all arranged to operate substantially as herein set forth. r i

6. The dog image A, attached to arm (1, having spindle oand crank D,and having ahinged jaw, a, operated by alever, b, and spring b, in combination with the figure F, having spring f, all constructed and arrangedto operate in combination with a money-box having receptacle G, substantially in the manner described, to operate asspecified.

7. The dog image A, attached to arm 0, r0 tated on spindle c by crank D, and having a hinged jaw, a, operated by leverb and spring b, in combination with the figure F, having spring f, all constructed, arranged, and operating on a money-box, E, having a curved and recessed top and a receptacle, G, substantially in the manner set forth.

WILLIAM H. LOTZ 

